Signal system for vehicles and the like.



F., P. ANELLO L GJPOCOROBA. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE. APPucATmN man ocT. zo. 1916.

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entran arianne paritair ernten,

' FRANCESCO P. ANELLO AND GIUSEPPI POCOROBA, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SIG-11111111 SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES AND THE LIKE.

Application :tiled October 2, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, FRANCESCO P. ANELLO and GIUSEPPI PoCoRoBA, subjects of the King of ltaly, and residents ot' Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Signal Systems for Vehicles and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved signaling device for automobiles which 1s parv nunciator having a series of indicating signs or legends to indicate a change in direction or other intention of the occupant of the car.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a signal system in which visual signals are placed on the rear of the car to be seen by the driver of a vehicle following, these rear signals being adapted to be oper ated by the driver or chauffeur and also being connected in a manner to permit the operation of such rear signals from the annunciator so that any change in direction of the car, or any stopping of the car, due to a signalfroni the occupant to the driver, will also show at the same time on the rear signals. lt thus becomes unnecessary for the driver to manually operate the signals on the rear of the car when he has received, through the annunciator, directions to change the course of the car, while he can, on his own initiative, operate the rear signals in the absence of any direction or indication on the annunciator.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 illustrates an automobile in unshaded outline,

the position of the different elements of the signal system and their approximate relative positions are illustrated in heavierl lines. Fig'. 2 is a rear 'view of part of an automobile showing one disposition of the rear signal lights. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showinghow the difier'ent elements can Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @1 une 11, 1911@ Serial No. 126,645.

be electrically connected, and Fig. e1 is a sectional view through the annunciator.

The system is illustrated on an automobile 10 which is of the limousine type, the rear inclosed tonneau portion 11 being provided with a' suitable switchboard 12 having a set of buttons 13 thereon, these buttons 13 being adapted to operate dierent indicators in an annunciator 14, a suitable battery 15 being installed in the circuit to actuate the annunciator when any one of the buttons 13 is pressed.

Referring to Fig, 3 a more detailed view of this constructimi is shown, each of the buttons 13 being connected to the annuncia tor which on the inside is formed, so 'far as the indicating mechanism is concerned, in

an \v of the usual manners, Fig. a showing one embodiment of an annunciator, the an nunciator having a casing 16, the front 17 of which is provided with a transparent part 1S, this being usually a sheet of glass. lin the rear ot' the annunciator is a set of mag# nets, each magnet 19 being suitably supported in the casing adjacent to a bracket 20, to

the top of which is pivoted a lever 21, oneY end of which is pulled down when 4the magnet is energized so as to release the tooth 22 from the end of the arm 23 which is pivoted, as at '21, between ears 25 of the bracket 20. The arm Q3 of the frame 26 is normally held up by the tooth 22 of the lever 21, but when released it falls down to bring into view a card 27 held in the end 28 of the frame 26, such card, when it is dropped into place, showing through the front of the annunciator, a set of these cars being shown in Fig. 3. 1t will be evident that each card 27 shown in Fig. 3 is actuated by its magnet 19 and each magnet is connected electrically with a push-button 13. ln the system illustrated each push-button is included in a controlling circuit coinprising a single or cornmon wire 29 which is connected up with the battery 15, and return wires 30 connecting each magnet with its respective push-button. The plates or cards 27 are provided with suitable legends or indicating devices, the

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might contain, but they would nornially be out of sight raised above the transparent part of the front ot the casing by reason of being held up inthe position shown in F 1g. 4. They are raised to this position and are also held in their lowered position by a bar l'pivoted at its two ends in blocks 32 and v to stop although the circuits can be otherwise` the car, or they might contain the ultimate destination of the car.

0n the rear of the automobile are suitable visual signaling devices, the torni shown comprising three lights, 34 which indicates a turn to the left, 35 which` when lighted,

indicates aturn to the right, and 36 which,

When lighted, indicates that the car is going i arranged if desired. The light is connectedV by a Wire 37 with one arm 38 of a switch in the annunciator case, the other arm 39 of Which switch is electrically connected with the arm 38 when the movable member 40 of the switch swings down between said arms 38 and 39, this swinging arm 40 swinging into suoli connecting position when the indicating card, indicating that the car is togo t0 the leilt` drops into position to be seen, and this completes the lamp circuit, the arm 39 being connected with the Wire 41 which passes through the battery 42 and thus lights the light 34. The light 35 is similarly connected to the Wire 41 and also to a Wire 43 which is connected to a switch actuated by the card that indicates a turn to theright. The card that indicates the stoppin of the automobile is connected vby means o a Wire 44 to the light 36 and is also connected by a Wire 45 to the wire 41.

, lt will thus be evident that these annunciator cards, when they drop into position to indicate to the chauli'eur that he is to stop or to change the direction of the car, also actuate respective switches so as to autoinatically light the rear signal lights ot' the car to indicate to the driver of a car following, the contemplated change in the speed or direction of the car. A. set of push-but- Y, tons 46 can also be arranged adjacent to the chau'eur so as to permit the closing of auX- iliary circuits and the operation of these lights through these push-buttons, irrespect5 be lighted by manipula-tion of these buttons.

The invention avoids the use of cumbersome and spare-consuming speaking tubes which are also in a sense unsanitary, and provides a silent means of communicating to the driver of the car, although if desirable a signal. bell 5l can be used in the annuncialtor to call attention to the display ot' a card 0r indicating plate in the 'face of the ammuciator. The invention also prevents the necessityof tapping on the glass. which separates the persons in the rear ot' the car from the chauffeur. Both of the aforesaid methods of attracting the chaul'eurs attention usually necessitate the turning of thc chaufieurs head to listen to or see what is required ol him, which, in crowded thoroughfares, or even under the best of conditions, is dangerous, Whereas in the present device the annunciator can be placed Where it requires no effort on the part of thel chauileur to see it, and his attention is drawn from the operation of the car but a very short time.

It will be understood that departures from and changes in the construction of the parts of this device may be resorted to Within the scope of our claims and without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

l. A signaling system for vehicles comprising an annunciator having a plurality of movable normally invisible visual signals, and means for moving the said signals into visible positions; a plurality of controllingI circuits associated with said signals; a series of push buttons,` each associated with and adapted to close one of said controlling circuits to thereby operate the visible signal Controlled by the circuit with Which the push button in question is associated; a plurality of lamp circuits in each of which a lamp is included; a plurality of circuit closing devices included one in each of said lamp circuits, said circuit closing devices being associated each with one of said visual signals and adapted to close the lamp circuit in which it is included when the visual signal associated with the circuit closing device in question is operated; a plurality of devices separate from said set of push buttons and each of Iwhich devices is adapted to close one of said lamp circuits; and means for supplying current to said several circuits.

Q.'A signaling system for vehicles comprising an annunciator having a plurality of movable normally invisible visual signals, and means for moving the said signals into visible positions; a plurality of controlling circuits associated with said signals; a series of push buttons, each associated with and adapted to close one of said controlling circuits te thereby operate the visible signal 'l il Leccese cuntrolled by the circuit with which the push niouttcn. in questionis associated; e plurulity ci lamp circuits in euch of which a. lump is included; u plurality of circuit closine devices included one in euch of seid lamp circuits, seid circuit closing,V devices being associated euch with one oit seid visuel signais und adapted to close s lamp circuit in which itis included when the visual signal associated with the circuit closing device in question is operated; a plurality ot' auxiliary circuits associated with said lump circuit; a second set of push buttons included one in each of seid auxiliary circuits und adapted to close the same; and ineens for supplying" current to seid several circuits.

3. A signaling system forlvehicles cornprising; an annunciutor heving u plurality of visuel signals, und u plurality of magnets associated each With one of said signals and edupted to release the same and permit the signel controlled by it to move from its initiel position; e plurality of controlling circuite :Associated with seid magnets; c set of gli button in question is associated; u plurality oit lump circuits in each 'of which u lump is included; c plurality of circuit closingl dcvices included one in each of said lamp circuits, seid circuit closinigdevices being associuted each Wlth one of said visual signals and adapted to close the lump circuit in i which it is included when the visuel signal associated with the circuit closing device in question is released; e plurlity of auxiliery circuits associated with said lamp circuit; e second set of push buttons included each in one of said auxiliary circuits und adapted to close the sume; and means for supplying current to said several circuits.

ln testimony that We claim the foregoing, we have hereto set our hands, this 18th dey ci October., 1916.

FRANCESCO P.' ANELLO. iGlUSEPPl POCORUBA. 

